Vernon Shaw on the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
Signature Required sits down with Vernon Shaw, Manager of Donor Relationships for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, for a conversation about food insecurity, community care, and the complexity behind feeding thousands of families across the region. What many people think of as simply “passing out food” is actually a massive operation involving logistics, nutrition, volunteers, partner agencies, and strategic support across 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee.
About Vernon Shaw
Vernon Shaw serves as Manager of Donor Relationships for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, where he helps connect individuals, organizations, and community partners to the mission of fighting food insecurity. With a background in ministry and service, Vernon brings both heart and clarity to the work, helping others understand not only the scale of the need, but also the meaningful ways they can get involved.
Known for his energy, compassion, and gift for connecting people to purpose, Vernon plays a key role in strengthening support for one of the region’s most essential organizations. Whether speaking with corporate partners, volunteers, or first-time donors, he helps communicate the deeper impact of the work: nourishing people so they can feel empowered and supported, not just for the day, but for the future.
Nourishment, Dignity & Community Care
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee plays a critical role in addressing food insecurity across a large portion of the state, serving 46 counties through a network of hundreds of partner agencies and strategic community relationships. Through food distributions, school-based programs, grocery rescue efforts, and volunteer support, the organization helps ensure that families, children, seniors, and individuals in crisis have access to the food they need.
Just as importantly, the organization’s work strengthens communities beyond the meal itself. By partnering with schools, churches, healthcare providers, and other nonprofits, Second Harvest helps create a broader support system around people facing hardship. In Tennessee, where hospitality and service are deeply woven into the culture, this work reflects a larger vision of care: meeting immediate needs while helping communities build stability, dignity, and hope.
Resources
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
Volunteer Opportunities
Donate Food
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Vernon Shaw, manager of Donor Relationships for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Welcome to Signature Required.
vernon: Thank you for having me. I am very, very excited to be here.
spencer: I think when people hear Second Harvest Food Bank, it is a brand that almost everyone has heard of, but I think maybe they don't actually know what Second Harvest Food Bank does,
But I hope what people will come away from in learning today is that, yes, second Harvest does all the things that you know that they do, but it actually is just the tip of the iceberg. Mm-hmm. For what the organization does. So I wanna start just there.
Usually I start with brands that [00:01:00] people don't know about. Like they come on the show and yeah. No one's ever heard of it. And so we have to say, tell us what you do. But I actually still wanna start there and say, tell us what Second Harvest actually does. Mo
vernon: most definitely. So a lot of people, you know, when they hear food bank mm-hmm.
They think of some, they think of a small organization, they think of a mom and pop type of deal. I, I tell people all the time that food banking is a, it's a very simple mission, is to provide food for people so that they feel empowered, but. The actual job of it. The actual just true action is very, very complex and it's very big.
Uh, if you've heard of Feeding America Under Feeding America, you have 200 food banks within the nation. They cover every county in the United States, from Orange County, California, all the way to Central Florida. There are food banks to make sure that people within that service area are being fed. And it's a very, very large operation,
just within Middle Tennessee alone, we [00:02:00] cover 46 counties out of Tennessee, there are five food banks. We cover 46 of those counties within Tennessee and. When people come and they really see lots of our programs, lots of our volunteer opportunities, they actually get a vision of the scope of it.
And I, I challenge people, please come out to a food distribution and see how big of an impact that we have to have to make sure that people are indeed receiving food. Because it is, it's, it's not at all a, a, right. This is a necessity for people and not just within our nation, but within the world.
spencer: It's crazy the amount of logistics that goes into it. So, Carly and I, our whole background is FedEx getting boxes delivered, moving things from point A to point B. Mm-hmm. But usually for us, the cardboard boxes don't expire. They don't rot like most of the time. Sometimes there's something inside, but usually.
If it's a day late, the customer's unhappy, but it's still usable.
vernon: Yeah. [00:03:00]
spencer: You've got a different dynamic in that, a meaningful portion of what you all do. It has to be the right food, it has to be fresh food at times. It can't be spoiled sometimes temperature controlled. So can you kind of just unpack some of the parts that maybe people.
Wouldn't think of first, because I think a lot of people think Second Harvest canned goods.
vernon: Mm-hmm.
spencer: Mm-hmm. But you do a lot more than canned goods.
vernon: Oh, for sure. It, so growing up we remember, we in school, we always did the canned food drive. Yes. Mm-hmm. Canned food drives are great. However, people, forget certain things.
I'm a nineties kid, so of course we did canned food drives. Yes. But now, you know. As we've progressed, we've learned that people have nickel allergies. Mm-hmm. So sometimes people can't get, can't use those canned foods. Sometimes people may not have a can opener. I know it.
As simple as it sounds, that is something that is a huge deal. And so we look at things like, uh, lots of things that are [00:04:00] non-perishables. Please bring in peanut butter. I tell people all the time, peanut butter has. Every piece of nutrition mm-hmm. That you may need. And I say this is a peanut butter lover.
You have to get those, a part of the generation that we're not allergic to peanut butter, but bring those things in and right. Bags of rice, things like that. Uh, that goes a long way. But to make sure that we are properly doing what needs to be done regarding food, we have nutritionists on staff.
Mm-hmm. Uh, we have lots of people that assist us in the process of food sustainability. So when we get food e everyone thinks it's just food that's been old or anything. We get food that has that has been donated. It's never anything that's going to, its. Expire, uh, is when I say it will eventually, but we don't get expired food.
Mm-hmm. And so when we, uh, receive food, we always make sure that it's something that people are going to be able to properly consume. And, um, when we, we have so many par partners when it comes to things, and I'm very familiar with FedEx being from Memphis. Mm-hmm. [00:05:00] And I understand what that process looks like.
Now when it comes to food, we have to make sure that we are going through the right channel. So we utilize our nutritionist, we utilize our food scientists that we have on staff to make sure that food is being properly stored, properly refrigerated, and also properly distributed. Mm-hmm. So whether you're working in the office or whether you're working in hr, whether you working in a logistics or you're a truck driver everyone has to take a food safety test.
Every year, whether you've been there two years or 20 years, we take a food safety test so you know what it looks like as food is coming in, you know what it looks like as food is going out.
carli: I'm so glad you said peanut butter is a super food because Oh yes. I basically live off of choosy mom's Choos gif, so I completely understand the busy mom that's like, what do I have for lunch?
How about a peanut butter and a chocolate chip?
vernon: There you go.
carli: I think what's interesting about what you said is how many nutritionists you have on staff. I think there's a misconception about. Food insecurity [00:06:00] maybe that some people are like, oh, I just need to go grab a couple cans to make sure I'm okay this week.
Mm-hmm. My paycheck is coming late, or I didn't get to work because the schools were closed and I, you know, maybe I'm on staff at a school and we're closed for 10 days and I don't have a salaried positions, things like that. But a lot of people with food insecurity, it's systemic. It's not something that goes away one day or one week or one bad month.
Right. It's something that they're dealing with on a regular basis. Mm-hmm. So when you're thinking about kids and nutrition, it's a really big deal. Like, I can get away with a spoonful of peanut butter for a day for my lunch, but a lot of kids, this is their reality and they need more. So how are you addressing this need for actual nutrition?
vernon: So we actually have a dietician on staff. And so when it comes to kids nutrition, we make sure that we pay attention to certain things. One of our biggest programs is our backpack program. Our backpack program is, in my opinion, my favorite because it provides food for [00:07:00] children that are facing food insecurity, and they rely on the school system to get that food.
So when they're getting that food, they're getting food at least twice a day, but that's only Monday through Friday. What are they doing on the weekends? That's where the backpack program comes in. So this is a program where it provides shelf sustainable food, within a bag that comes with two packs of cereal, two entrees a snack.
And it used to be have a snack where it was peanut butter crackers. Like we said earlier, we realized some people have peanut allergies, so our dietician caught that and said, wait, we have to make sure that we're cognizant of who is receiving this food. And so we've taken certain things out.
We've made sure certain allergens are not in that food. So those children that are among the 450,000. People that are food insecure just within middle and West Tennessee alone, are able to receive that food so that they have shelf sustainable meals over the weekend, and they just don't have to [00:08:00] rely on the school system as far as what the school system looks like.
I do know that there are certain areas where they try to concentrate on what nutrition looks like. And sometimes people say, oh, here's a bag of chips, or here's something, and that may not always be the healthiest thing. Like yes, you're feeding them, but sometimes people can still starve.
People still may not be receiving the certain amount of protein that they need and certain amount of nutri nutrients. So when we look at sustainability for nutrition, especially among children, the backpack program is where that comes in. So our partners like VII and ZINBERG Foods, they do a very good job at making sure those entrees are indeed healthy for children.
carli: So I wanna dig a little bit more into the backpack program. Mm-hmm. Because as I was researching for this, is it true that the kids don't have to ask for it? They don't have to enroll in it, the teachers identify them and just slip it in their backpacks.
vernon: Yes, that is, that's exactly why we call it the backpack program.
There's no application process. It's really just [00:09:00] vetting amongst the teachers and the administrators at the school. It's up to their discretion. and there are also lots of key indicators. Teachers, and we've seen that before where a child may be acting out or a child may seem lethargic and not doing well in school, not being able to concentrate on their schoolwork, and that's where a teacher or a school administrator say, Hey, I think this child can benefit from the backpack program.
And again. No application process. Literally, if you're a T-shirt and you say, man, I, I see Vernon, he looks like he may be hungry. You would go to your superior principal, whoever, and you would say, I think that we need some backpack bags. And literally it's just a big, like a gallon size Ziploc bag filled with food for the weekend, and you put it in her backpack and that's it.
carli: How powerful. For a kid that may be struggling silently, that's embarrassed, doesn't want anyone to know what's going on at home, to be seen in such a practical way, I would [00:10:00] imagine the emotional, spiritual component of that is every bit as powerful as a fo stomach.
vernon: It, that goes a long way.
There was a woman, worked for a very large organization and she had come to volunteer. And we were stuffing backpack bags and, they were one of the big sponsor of ours and they came to support and they're in there volunteering. It's like 50 people in the room, so it's hot and everybody's stuffing bags.
But I love that part. That's the old youth pastor in me and. I saw her started crying. and this is a powerful woman within the organization. She pulled up in an s class, had her heels on, which you're not supposed to have heels on in the warehouse, by the way. But, it, and you know, she, you think she just, she just, this, she has this aura about herself and she started crying.
I said, Hey, are you okay? And she said, I used to receive these bags when I was a kid. And so I kind of took her to the side and, you know, of course give her a break and everything. And I said, Hey, like. How does this make you feel? She said, [00:11:00] I'm glad that this is still around because it was around, I was able to gain the nutrient nutrients that I needed to succeed to get to where I am today.
And so just the simple fact that we've seen how. This not only provides nutrition for people, it provides hope for people. It's not just about like, yes you have to eat. We all have to eat. But I think that if you getting something that you need on a consistent basis that provides so much hope for people's future, especially children.
spencer: The stat that you gave a minute ago that. 450,000 people in middle and West Tennessee are food insecure. You know, there's about 7 million people that live in the state of Tennessee. And that 450,000 number is not even from the whole state of Tennessee. So if we looked at the entire state of Tennessee, that number could be close to 10%.
[00:12:00] That term food insecure, I feel like means something to those in the industry. But for those that are outside, I think I would actually have a hard time defining what food insecure means in terms of. Does that mean you're starving? Does that mean that one meal a week?
Like what does it mean for those that aren't in the space to know definitionally what being food insecure means in the space?
vernon: I'm very glad you asked that because a lot of people, when they hear food insecurity, they think of someone that's unhoused, that's has no idea what to do when it comes to food or finances.
Food insecurity is simply not knowing where your next meal will come from. And that could, and I tell people all the time that there are people that look like you. There are people that look like me and everywhere in between that are food insecure.
So sometimes it could be someone that may have to choose between getting food for the [00:13:00] evening or the week and getting their prescription. It may be someone that says, Hey, I need to make sure that my children are fed. We don't have enough for me to eat, but I'll just eat this spoonful of peanut butter and make sure that my children are fed.
And so if you ever come to a food distribution, they're always drive-through. I've seen Teslas and Mercedes. Go through that line. I've seen people walk through that line. And so it's not just people that are unhoused, it's not just people that, deal with mental health issues. There are people from all walks of life that deal with food insecurity.
And just like you said, when it comes to the stat, yes, that 450,000, it's just middle and West Tennessee. So keep in mind you have the Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis. You have the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, the Chattanooga Food Bank in Knoxville. everybody's doing the same thing when it comes to food insecurity.
So that 450,000 just within our 46 county area, that really is polarizing.
carli: And so how do you all work [00:14:00] together? How do you kind of find your niche as Second Harvest, middle Tennessee to make sure you're supporting all of the different distribution places in your area, but not stepping on the toes
The common goal is that no one goes hungry. But I'd imagine in practice it can get complicated for sure. So how do you find that balance with all of these different people trying to help that maybe actually hurt?
So it's, it's again very large operation. when it comes to the food banks, we have our designated service areas. And so whatever your disservice area, that's what you are. That's what you're privy to. Now there are times when bigger food banks may need to step in, sometimes even outta state.
vernon: Case in point, if everyone remembers Hurricane Ian, that devastated the state of Florida. FEMA contacted Feeding America, feeding America, contacted Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, and said, Hey, I know that you all have the volunteer capacity to assist us in making sure that we get trucks, load truckloads of [00:15:00] food to central Florida.
Are you able to help this food bank? And we said yes. And we started to have volunteer sessions on days. We don't have volunteer sessions to make sure that we fulfilled that need. And so, It really all comes down to the need. Everyone has designated areas. Now, to answer your question within our city, we have lots of organizations that do what we do.
However, we make sure that we do a good job in partnering with. Those organizations. So sometimes we may need help from them. We say, Hey, you can probably touch a community that we can't. Are you able to help us distribute food that we can give to you all? And sometimes they say, Hey, we need more supplies when it comes to food resources and sustainability.
And so at the end of the day, there's a lot of partnering going on. It's very easy. I tell people I wear size 15. I tell people it's easy to step on people's toes, when you're big, but, it's also easier to help people when you're big as well, too.
carli: Mm-hmm. Can I ask, you mentioned the volunteers and having extra sessions for them, [00:16:00] how big a deal.
Are volunteers to your operations?
vernon: Very. I, I can't, again, as a former youth pastor, I cannot go on about volunteering. We have volunteer sessions Tuesday through Saturday with three sessions Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and they're about two and a half, three hours, and it's not hard.
We have a group, I love 'em to death. They come in Tuesdays and Thursdays. They're our senior seasoned seniors. Mm-hmm. And the median age in there is 69. I'm not joking. And you don't have to be able, you don't have to look like me and lift, you know, a hundred pounds.
You don't have to do that at all. you just gotta be willing And, when people come to volunteer for one, I got, I have to share. It does a lot for people. There are a lot of people just like we spoke earlier, that don't understand how big of a scope of work that we have. so when they come in, they get to see that, but.
Our volunteers are the spine, the backbone, the tailbone, the femur, the funny bone [00:17:00] of what we do of a lot of the work. A lot of the pounds of foods, like there are millions and millions of pounds that are distributed because of the food boxes, because of the bags, because of all the projects that we have had.
With our volunteers. So when you see the food boxes, when you see the food being distributed, those are, those have been stuffed from somebody, from a FedEx, somebody from the Paton Foundation, somebody, somebody from some organization or so, just an individual or a school down the street, a boy scout troop, fraternity or sorority that has come to help.
And so, we cannot do it. Without our volunteers. Like we have people that work in logistics, but that's to make sure that we get food. That's to make sure that we can move food. That's to make sure that we can distribute food, but we have to have people to actually pack and store those, those food items.
spencer: So Vernon, we've talked some about what. Second Harvest is maybe let's [00:18:00] take it the other way and say, what is it not? So like, let's bust a couple myths that you maybe hear things that are asked of the organization or thought about the organization. I have all sorts of things that like, I don't know whether Second Harvest gets government money, I don't know, all sorts of things about Second Harvest.
So can you kind of bust a couple myths that maybe people think about? Your organization, but are not true.
vernon: Absolutely. So a thing about it is, again, we are a very, very large organization, but we are a non-profit organization. So everything that we do when it comes to our operations, whether it's from our truck drivers to somebody that's cleaning the hallways within the building.
Everything is under an, we are 5 0 1 C3 and everything is under a certain budget per year, so that's one. we, we rely on donations, we rely on charities, we rely on sponsorships and things of that nature.
now when it comes to our location, we are not. Necessarily a [00:19:00] food, distributor. So if you're someone in need, it's not where you would normally go. however, if you walk through the doors of any of our three Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee locations, you will leave with some food because we.
We believe in making sure that everybody gets fed. But we're not a distribution. So what we do is we partner with organizations. We have over 420 partner agencies and almost 600 strategic partners into making sure that we get that food out. So. Everyone thinks, oh, well you guys are in Davidson County.
How are you getting food to people up in picket in Montgomery County? We utilize those partners, so yes, we do indeed make sure that food goes out, but we're not the main place where people would come to get it. We are the ones I like to call the plug to make sure everybody else. gets the food and our partner agencies could be anybody from a church, a school, a smaller food [00:20:00] bank, or a community center.
And so we're not necessarily just the bank where you just come to get food. We are indeed the distributor.
spencer: It kind of reminds me some of the Red Cross that like they're blood banks, you know, they are a bank for blood, but the Red Cross is not the doctor and the nurse and the hospital.
Right. That's actually utilizing it. But a big part of how the Red Cross stays solvent stays in business is, yes, it's donations, but they also sell that blood mm-hmm. To the hospitals and nurses. And a lot of people don't realize that, that there's actually a transaction there too. Is that the same way for Second Harvest, when y'all have 400 something partners around?
And let's say a church comes or an organization in a county, is there some monetary transaction that happens there so that way they can then go and, and give food?
vernon: That is, that's correct. So there's a lot when it comes to being a partner agency, it's a very, very long vetting process. It's a very, very long application process.
[00:21:00] You have to be approved by the USDA 'cause you have to be able to not only, be approved to distribute food. But you also have to know how to store food and store food correctly. So there's a very long process, but there also is, is a payment when it comes to it. Yeah. So you have to be able to sustain it.
Again, everything costs. So if you choose to be a partner agency, you have to be able to make sure that you are indeed. Purchasing the truck driver, the truck, the delivery the fuel for the truck and most of all the food. And so, there is, there, it does come at a cost, but that is where sponsorships come in.
So, when it comes to making sure that we have sponsorships, For one of our things that we do all the time. Mobile pantries. Mobile pantries that cost $6,000. And so we make sure that food is purchased the truck is indeed taken care of, the truck driver is taken care of, and that food is distributed.
And so, it is, I I say all the time that, shout out to the Wu-Tang Clan Cash rules, everything around me. But, it, which is unfortunate, [00:22:00] but that is how we work. And and because of our sponsors and we have so many and we are very, very grateful for them, we're able to fulfill the mission, within our 46 county area.
carli: Tell me about some of these sponsors. So you're saying it could be a little bit of anybody, but you have some pretty prestigious partners that have been with you guys for a really long time and I, I always think it's interesting that you could pass a Kroger or you could pass different nonprofits and you have no idea how affiliated they are.
Yeah. With something like Second Harvest and it makes you wanna shop there or use their product. So tell me, what are some of these partners that people may not know that have an invested interest in serving? Oh, and there are so many partners that are so close in what we do. So all your grocery stores, Kroger.
vernon: Publix, and you can go also to Walmart. Whole Foods Target. If they are selling food they are able to donate food. And so when they donate food, that's part of our grocery rescue program. And a lot of people [00:23:00] don't know that. fun fact, years ago I used to work at Target. And so I was in the back of the store and this guy, this big guy, was bigger than me, would come in.
He had a second harvest check and I was like, Hey, what are you, what are you doing here? And one of my managers comes over, he says, excuse me. And he comes by with a big pallet full of food. And I was like, okay, This looks like perfectly good food. Mm-hmm. Like, what, what's going on? Why are we donating this food?
He said, well, this is food that has not been sold yet. So when we get food from grocery stores, it could be the box of cereal where the box is open, but the bag is sealed. It could be a can where the can is dented, It's still edible food.
It may have a Valentine's Day sticker on February 17th or something like that. Okay? And so we get that food and we take that food and we make sure that that food goes out into community.
All of those grocery stores, all of those department stores assist us in making sure that we do that. A lot of people don't realize that. And that's something that's a year round program when it comes to organizations, there are so many. We can go into FedEx, we can go into HCA, [00:24:00] we can go into Amazon, we go to Nissan.
These large organizations do a lot and not just food drives. They sponsor events, they sponsor food distributions, they sponsor lots of volunteer opportunities, and so there are so many partners that people have no idea have, not just Massey Cash in what we do, but also a hand in what we do.
spencer: When some people think about food banks. And food insecurity. There's also a follow-up question that says, how do we help change the course? Of what is causing someone to be food insecure? Is that any part of something that Second Harvest gives a thought to, or is that kind of like, Hey, we're gonna meet them on this need that they have today?
So is that something that Second Harvest is able to spend time on, or is that more partner organizations?
So our mission is to nourish people so that [00:25:00] they feel empowered. So we are providing nourishment. Our goal is never ever to be anybody's healthcare. So if you ever come to any of our food distributions, we have what we have. We have what we call wraparound services.
vernon: So that wraparound service could be a bank. It could be a bank that is providing fi, financial literacy.
spencer: Yeah,
vernon: that wraparound service could be the diaper connection. That's providing diapers as a person that has a child. I totally understand that. Yeah. it could be an organization, that provides information on insurance.
It could be an organization that provides information on how to get internet service for your home. Coming up soon, we will have an opportunity to have a one-stop shop within our building, within the next couple of years to make sure that people are getting what they need.
So we always want to make sure that we are serving the community, but we want to make sure that that community is getting everything that they need. 'cause I would, I love to see people, I love being around people, but I don't want to see the same person coming in. Yeah. Getting a box of food.
carli: [00:26:00] Yeah. 'cause you're in the unique position that you would really like to work yourself out of a job.
vernon: Of course,
carli: like ideally, we wouldn't need second harvest. Now, that doesn't look like it's on the horizon for lots of socioeconomic reasons, but that's where your heart is, I would imagine, because nobody gets into your job without a heart. For people. How did you get to where you are? You were a youth pastor, you've done some different things.
How did you get here? Vernon, in our chair, handing out millions of pounds of food a year.
vernon: I, I've always been the type of person that just wanted to help people. I, I was the typical nineties kid. I wanted to be a firefighter. When I was little, I, I knew that I wanted to help people. And when I got older, I said, man, how do I do that?
but later on I realized that there are so many needs that are on the ground. I, I, I'm the type of guy, I love getting my hands dirty. I love making sure that I'm among the people. Mm-hmm. Being on this side when it [00:27:00] comes to development and nonprofit, I've learned that when it comes to a necessity, there is a fight in that.
I love being a, a, a freedom fighter in so many sense. One of my favorites are Fred Hampton. Who had a free food program for people. And I realized that it, he didn't do it just because somebody else wasn't doing it. He did it because people needed to eat. They got better children, got better test scores.
Children focused more in school. People felt better on their way to work. Think about how many times you're on your way to work. Mm-hmm. And you're like, man, I'm hungry. My stomach's growling. I'm not feeling it, and you haven't eaten. But think about that. If it was somebody that doesn't have access to food, doesn't have access to nutritious food.
And so I, I've always wanted to make sure, that I've helped people and my, my biggest thing and part of my job is to connecting people to a heartfelt mission. And so I get to talk to people. I get to go in rooms with people who. [00:28:00] Probably wouldn't connect with somebody that's in a 3 7 2 0 8 area code, or within North Nashville or South Nashville and other areas, or even our rural areas that experience food insecurity.
And so I'm able to connect people and I love to see people light up when they realize how much of an impact that they make.
carli: Spence and I over our time have stumbled on these issues that become hot button issues for us, and food insecurity is one of them because our heart is all around trying to feed people's souls and mm-hmm.
Really help them to find their value in eternity, not just in this moment.
vernon: There you go.
carli: And you know what makes it really hard to think about your soul? Is when your stomach's crumbling?
vernon: Yes.
carli: Or when you're in pain. We've done things with mobile dental units. there are these foundational things where if you don't solve this, people cannot think about the next step.
They cannot think bigger picture, and I think food insecurity is probably that top. Issue up there with [00:29:00] healthcare and feeling better. So I commend what you're doing, but what's next? Like, you guys have been around for a really long time. It seems like you have all of these partners and you're really robust in Middle Tennessee.
It feels like it would be easy to be complacent. You have your systems in place, you're doing what you do, but what makes you excited about what's next for a second harvest?
vernon: We are continuing to grow and I tell people all the time, it's. Fortunate that food insecurity for now is not going anywhere.
Mm-hmm. Just, I gotta say, just, in the fall we experienced the loss of snap and food insecurity. Nationally, what they had 13.7% of households experiencing that. And that did not go up. That did not go down. However, it remained the same, which means that there were people still within food insecurity.
And so, with that. We have to expand and so our Metro Center location is getting ready to have a bigger location, so we will be doubling in size. Another thing that people don't know is that we have a [00:30:00] farm. Our project grow, in Camden. So if you ever feel in froggy, you want to drive an hour west, it is first exit after you crossed the Tennessee River.
go to our Camden location. You meet Donna. She's a wonderful soul, and, she really heads our project grow. And you can go out there and pick some tomatoes, pick some potatoes, all types of fruit. We even have Cole Robbie out there.
carli: No kidding.
vernon: So serious.
carli: What, how does one cook Cole Robbie?
vernon: I have no. Okay. So, so that's another thing that we do. For a long time we would get things donated. We would get. Pallets and pallets of eggplant. The only thing I know what to do with an eggplant is do eggplant parmesan. That's about it.
carli: Sure. You can fry an eggplant, but no one's gonna eat a raw egg.
vernon: Yeah. You know, and, and so we, our dietician on staff, she's done a very good job at making sure that, people are getting recipes and looking at different ways of using the food that they get. And most of all healthy ways 'cause mm-hmm. Again, we can give people bags of chips all the time and they can say [00:31:00] that they're quote unquote fool.
but, but we got one to make sure that people are being sustained. So when we get things like Cole Robbie, 'cause I, I just heard about it last year. And I was like, okay, this is basically cabbage. Yeah. But there are different ways of cooking things and so it, it's great to see that grow. We have lots of food programs that are continuing to, continuing to flourish.
And a big thing that we're working on is food is medicine. So we're working with a lot of healthcare organizations, within our service area just to make sure that people are receiving nutrition. It makes me think about our things, our programs that we have, like our diabetes boxes or our senior nutrition boxes, and we make sure that those are always catered to what people need regarding their health.
spencer: Will you talk for a minute more about the SNAP benefit and the changes there and the impacts that's had? 'cause I think some need education from the start of just what's snap. And why does it matter? And then talk about some of the changes.
vernon: So, so [00:32:00] those that don't know, SNAP is the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
Mm-hmm. And that is to provide funds for people that are experiencing food insecurity, to purchase food. When that was cut. That took a lot out of people's hands when it came to being able to purchase food. So whenever they could, if they were able to purchase food, it would only be things like, your Chee chips and Cheetos,
But things like that. So they're not able to, to. To purchase sustainable food. Again, like I said, 13.7% of people were experiencing that food insecurity, and that's within the entire nation. And so you can only imagine what it looks like just within Middle Tennessee alone. Hmm. With it not going up with it, not going down.
And USDA is telling us that the one in seven people within just our Middle Tennessee area that experience food insecurity, that is expected to go up later on because of the snap cuts. And so we're experiencing just an influx of donations, [00:33:00] whether that be monetary or food.
And that is wonderful. as of now. And I urge people, it is very, very imperative that. Donations, food donation really, really should be part of what we do as far as our culture. Mm-hmm. And it goes a long way and again. Not just cans, but bring those shelf stable foods in. food donations are actually the number one way to make sure that that the food bank continues to flourish, continues to make an impact on the community.
We saw a lot of our Tennessee community show out in the best way. I've never ridden so many thank you cards sent. So many Thank you. Emails sent so many. Thank you. Voice notes on my phone. I have so many people's phone number, but it's been beautiful to see.
And it's, it's very, it's a very big blessing to be in my position of, of work and just see how the community is shown now.
carli: You know, it really hits to the root of Southern hospitality. When I moved to Nashville, I think it was [00:34:00] after our second daughter, it was the first time someone set us up a meal train.
You know, where they, everyone signs up to bring you something and
vernon: love those meal trains.
carli: For a while, I was too prideful, like. I'm fine. We will get it done. And then you have your second kid and you're just floored and it's like your spoonfuls of peanut butter at best. And it really struck me the power of having someone say, Hey, I see you.
Yeah, I'm thinking about you. Let me bring your family a hot meal and. I hear what you're saying about how this should be part of our culture. I think it already is. In church communities and different communities, people are willing and able to bring a meal. In fact, a lot of people love it. It's what they spend a lot of their time doing.
But I think there's a missing target where we're supporting each other. Where if I had to figure out how to get a lasagna made, I would've figured it out. Yeah. But there are a lot of people that don't have the luxury of just figuring it out. In a given night. Mm-hmm. And so I think this empowers people hearing this message to say, Hey, I already love to feed people.
This [00:35:00] is part of our southern hospitality. This is part of what it means to be a Tennessean. Why not route that forward to what you guys are doing and pay it forward that way.
vernon: Absolutely. I, I love that because a, a thing I always write in my car is I said, Hey, thank you for allowing somebody to experience the joy of gathering around the dinner table.
carli: Mm-hmm.
vernon: And there, there's a lot, it's, it's like I said, we don't want to be anyone's healthcare. We want people to feel nourished and be empowered. It's like my friend I told you about earlier who. Used to receive those bags because she got those bags. She, she relied on those and said, okay, I'm able to, to get myself up to the point where I'm able to give back.
Mm-hmm. And so. A second harvest, we exist to make sure that people are getting fed again. It's not a right, it's not a privilege, it's a necessity. Mm-hmm. People need to eat and our goal is to make sure that that encompasses everything. So, when it comes to the one-stop shop that we'll have in the future, which I'm very excited about, we're gonna be able [00:36:00] to make sure that we're not someone's healthcare.
We want you to make sure that you get healthcare. We're making sure, hey, we're not here for you to get. Diapers. We're making sure that you get those. We're not making sure that you're getting insurance. Hey, there's a person to talk to you about that. But also while you're doing it, we wanna make sure that you're fed so that you're in the right head space and you're in the right health to to do so.
spencer: Vernon, hearing the message, people wanna figure out, well, what do I do? And depending upon who's asking that question, whether they're an individual, they run a company, they're a retiree, whatever student. There's different answers. So how does somebody get involved if they want to?
vernon: one way is volunteer.
Volunteer your time. You can volunteer your time at one of our three facilities, or you can volunteer your time out in the community. we have shifts Tuesday through Saturday at our facilities and your children can be as young as 12 to come in the facilities.
We have a special family night on Thursday nights and children can be as young as six and it's always great to see those. [00:37:00] Boy Scout and those Girl Scout troops come in and, fill ba bags of food up. So that's one way you can do that. and to do that, you go to Second Harvest midt end.org. You would hit volunteer opportunities or hit get Involved, and then volunteer opportunities and you create an account and you can find volunteer shifts there.
Another way is to donate funds. to donate. You would go to the website, you could donate. Or get involved. and you can always come and you can drop off funds also another way I tell people all the time, I'm gonna tell you, tell your friends, tell your family.
There are a lot of people that don't know what food insecurity looks like. There are a lot of people that don't know what a food bank is, and so get some information, call me, emails me, send a Raven. I'll make sure that you get that info, so that you can tell people about Second Harvest Food Bank.
spencer: Okay the way that we end each of our podcasts is I'm gonna give you three short fill in the blank sentences that [00:38:00] will have a blank at the end that you can fill in with a word or a short phrase that you think completes the thought.
So just repeat the prompt that I give to you, and then fill it in with what you think is the answer. Okay? Alright. All right. Number one, I wish more people understood blank.
vernon: I wish more people understood people. Hmm.
spencer: Number two, second Harvest always needs more blank.
vernon: Second Harvest always needs more volunteers.
spencer: I thought you were gonna take the bait and just go straight cash right there. I did too. I did.
carli: I was waiting for it. Or at least cash and people, people in cash.
spencer: That was good discipline right there. That was good for you. That was good. Message. Discipline. Okay. And number three. Tennessee is a unique place to serve because Blank
vernon: Tennessee is a unique place to serve because we know how to serve [00:39:00] people.
spencer: Well, Vernon, it's really nice to have you on today. I like having guests that either come from a place where no one has ever heard anything about it, and so it's purely educational or someplace that everyone thinks that they know. But they actually don't know it as well as they thought.
And hearing about the programs, like the Backpack program, the types of things where you are. Touching the lives of kids and changing trajectories of people. It's more than just, Hey, I've got food today. You are really making an impact that I think, we just talked about it's 10% of Tennessee.
vernon: Yeah.
spencer: This is one in 10 people. You know, someone that is food insecure. No matter what demographic you're in,
vernon: right?
spencer: And so I think that's a really important message that I'm thankful [00:40:00] that you to just spend an hour with you to sense your spirit, that you're a guy, that someone can come and talk to a guy that.
Clearly has a heart to serve, and so it's awesome, and I totally understand why Second Harvest has you as a face of their brand here in Middle Tennessee. And so
vernon: thank you.
spencer: That means a lot. It's exciting to have you on here and, I really wish you the best success.
vernon: Thank you so much. I'm, I'm, I appreciate you all and, and I'm so glad that you all were able to just get some more information.
spencer: Vernon Shaw of Second Harvest Food Bank, middle Tennessee. I really enjoy learning, even when it's about something that you think you already know.
carli: Mm-hmm.
spencer: That's some of my favorite is to take a brand that just about everyone in America has heard Second Harvest.
carli: Sure.
spencer: Without a doubt. But there's a lot more to it than what you think and hearing them explain programs like [00:41:00] the Backpack Project.
Ones that really do touch your heart in a unique way.
carli: I think it's easy. You mentioned the Red Cross during this podcast, second Harvest, some of these big hitters, it's easy to assume they got it. They got it figured out. They don't need me. And the truth is, if there weren't people locally packing bags of food that are going in to these kids' backpacks, our kids would not be served with the backpack program.
And I think it's convicting. To me that it's so easy to get so busy and it's so easy to see the need right in front of you, the school fundraiser or the next, you know, event that you have to go to and to forget. Like, Hey, I need to zoom out. I need to pick what breaks my heart and serve there. And so that's what I'm leaving thinking about is, is this something we could implement for our family?
Maybe not every week, maybe not every family night, but. [00:42:00] Is fighting food insecurity, something that we could do as a unit more often than we do, probably.
spencer: Yeah. It's amazing to me seeing big organizations like Second Harvest that sometimes get a reputation for, oh, well, they're so big, and just like you said, they've got it all together.
There's a lot of danger that comes in that, because if Second Harvest was to go away. There are tens of millions of Americans, tens of millions whose lives would be immediately impacted.
carli: Yeah.
spencer: And there are very few other brands that sometimes you may have an affinity for the startup charity, the local, and those are good.
Mm-hmm. And they partner with those a lot. But you can't neglect the giants because they are the hub that makes everything run. And so it's just a good reminder that there's not many [00:43:00] organizations that impact as many Americans' lives as Second Harvest. It's just a handful, and it's important that they have an opportunity to remind everybody that they need support too.
